A mountain had been was flattened.
Shin Eui-gyeom felt utter devastation as he looked at it.
When he first saw ‘that man’ 17 years ago, he felt a sense of utter desperation. Such was the overwhelming strength that he possessed.
And now, 17 years later, after training constantly, he was confident that he would win against that same opponent one-on-one.
But what was this?
He could no longer imagine victory after seeing the sight in front of him. This was beyond that monster in his past.
‘Just seventeen…’
How could a child yet to step out into the world have this kind of power? Mumu’s voice then came.
“Now that we have time alone here, can I ask something?”
“…”
Was he confident that he would win? Was this why the place was chosen? What will the boy ask?
However, the question that came was completely unexpected.
“For four people like you to attack, was my father that scary?”
‘!?’
In an instant, he became stiff.
What did this child say? They had been afraid of his father that all four of them had to attack together?
‘Father?’
The boy’s words echoed in his head as his heart pounded.
The shock was enough to stop him from breathing for a moment.
In the middle of this turmoil, Shin Eui-gyeom decided to organize his thoughts and review the question Mumu asked.
‘Four people like me…’
That referred to the Four Great Warriors alongside himself. There was only one person that they had fought together 17 years ago.
It was of course the man who was the Lord of the Forces of Evil.
‘Overlord Blood Martial God!’
In an instant, he felt goosebumps on his skin as cold sweat flowed down his body.
‘No… it cannot be!’
At that time, in front of their eyes, that man had died and didn’t even leave behind a body.
To avoid future revenge or conflicts, didn’t they even kill all of that man’s blood relatives with their own hands?
[Do not weaken your heart.]
[His blood should never appear in Murim again.]
[… I know]
They had removed both young and old with that determination.
Then what was this child saying?
Shin Eui-gyeom gulped and turned his head. He knew that if Mumu decided to attack him again, he would die.
Shin Eui-gyeom then said.
“… What are you saying?”
“It’s just as you heard. Ah… you might not know what I am talking about…”
Pat!
Before he could even finish those words, Shin Eui-gyeom widened the distance between them and took a stance. Mumu looked at him and said,
“Your heart is beating so loudly. That means you were shocked by what I said, right?”
He couldn’t deny Mumu’s words.
It was hard to control his heart after such shock.
“Do not be too shocked. I just want an answer to the question.”
“It can’t be.”
“What can’t be?”
“All of that man’s bloodline had perished. And you claim he is your father?”
Mumu scratched his head.
“Ah. It hasn’t been long since I discovered he was my father.”
“Wasn’t long?”
“Yes. I was adopted as an infant.”
At Mumu’s words, Shin Eui-gyeom narrowed his eyes.
If so, was this child exiled before he and his comrades had committed their purge? If not, then it would be impossible for this child to be alive.
‘That man… he saved one of his children.’
This wasn’t something that could easily be dismissed.
This would shake Murim to its foundations.
Where that man learned his martial arts were still unknown, but this child had already managed to surpass even that.
‘… This is bad.’
If this monstrous child decided to revive his father’s cause, the remnants of that man’s forces would immediately reappear.
If that happened, the peace that had lasted for 17 years would end.
Another war would inevitably occur with a myriad of devastating effects. As he thought this, Mumu said to him,
“You haven’t answered my question yet.”
“What?”
“Was father scary enough for all four of you to attack?”
“…”
Shin Eui-gyeom didn’t answer. He couldn’t deny the question.
Although he ruled the Forces of Evil, he was called the strongest warrior at that time.
He was someone that had enough force to bring anyone down.
“Seems like he was that scary.”
“Do you want to blame us four for what we did to your father?”
Mumu shrugged at the question.
“No. I was told that the four of you had to come together because you were scared. What else could have been done? It was probably because my father was that strong.”
At Mumu’s words, Shin Eui-gyeom couldn’t hide his doubt.
What was this child trying to say? He then thought…
‘Is he doing this on purpose?’
Luring him here with the death of his disciple. He had thought that this child was behind all of it.
He nervously licked his lips.
“Did you kill my disciple to call me here?”
Mumu tilted his head at that question.
“Why do I have to do that?”
“… Because I am one of those who killed your father…”
“Why would I do something so bothersome?”
“Bothersome?”
“Yes. It isn’t that difficult to deal with you. Do I need to do something so bothersome as killing your disciple or someone else?”
Shin Eui-gyeom hated Mumu’s casual declaration.
This boy was treating one of the Four Great Warriors like he was a simple handyman.
However, it was impossible to deny that this child’s strength was beyond anything he had ever experienced.
This child’s power was different.
‘What is this?’
A question came to Shin Eui-gyeom’s mind.
So had there instead been a plot to pin the murder onto the hands of another’s disciple? If he had fallen for the scheme as planned, he would have ended up going after the Southern Blade Emperor.
They would inevitably have regarded each other as enemies.
‘… Weird.’
Mumu had stopped this.
If the scheme had been successful, it would have easily caused division between the Four Great Warriors.
But Mumu’s actions were questionable.
After stopping the scheme, he also tried to protect the criminal. Wasn’t that why they were fighting now?
Doubtful, Shin Eui-gyeom then asked,
“… You and the child who killed my disciple, aren’t you on the same side? Could it be that you prevented him from coming with me so you could get revenge for your father with your own hands?”
“No, I just did it because I didn’t like it.”
“What?”
“My father said a gentleman shouldn’t be mean to others.”
“Father?”
“Ah. I mean the step-father who raised me.”
At Mumu’s words, Shin Eui-gyeom frowned.
Was this child being serious?
He couldn’t fathom why he had destroyed the chance to divide him from the other Four Great Warriors.
These were not words a child of that man would ever say. Mumu then said,
“I can kill whenever I want to. I just don’t feel the need to.”
‘This child?’
At Mumu’s arrogant remark, Shin Eui-gyeom frowned.
Even if the result was obvious, this child was too overconfident.
Didn’t his overconfident father also die at their hands?
“You don’t seem to be feeling well?”
At Mumu’s question, Shin Eui-gyeom answered.
“… I acknowledge your power. You are skilled, but when you kill me to start your revenge, it will unite all the sects.”
He said this softly, but the point was so simple.
He was warning him that if he decided to act out, many from the side of justice would come for him.
“If that happens, you as well will follow in your father’s footsteps.”
“So annoying.”
“… What?”
“This has been so annoying for a while now.”
What was this kid saying?
Mumu scratched his head and said.
“Actually, I am a bit concerned.”
“Concerned?”
“Yes. You are still one of those who killed my father. As a child, I was expected to have some kind of filial piety, so I thought I needed to do something.”
“… What do you mean?”
Shin Eui-gyeom asked with a heavy voice as he could guess what Mumu was about to say.
“I didn’t want to make it a huge deal, so I was wondering if I should kill the ones who killed my father.”
‘Ah!’
At Mumu’s words, Shin Eui-gyeom became even more shocked.
This boy spoke like he was about to catch wild animals in a forest. Perhaps he had been this confident since he was young.
“… You don’t understand what I meant. If I die, your end will be the same as your father’s. If that happens, the other Four Great Warriors and the sects in the central plains will work together to punish…”
“Which is why it is annoying. If I kill them all, how will it be any different from what my father did?”
“What.”
“I’d just turn into a murderer like him.”
Shin Eui-gyeom thought this was absurd.
He thought this was simply overconfidence in his strength, but did this boy really think he could kill so many people?
If that was the case, he wanted to tell the boy that he was mistaken.
“You are surely powerful for your age. No, it is stupid of you if you think you can do anything in this world with just strength. It is an illu…”
“It isn’t an illusion.”
Mumu turned to his left, clenched his hand, and pulled it back.
Shin Eui-gyeom, who had experienced this once, gasped for air.
Clench!
Just as Shin Eui-gyeom’s thoughts began to race, he saw Mumu’s body tremble as the deltoids in his shoulder began to clench while his triceps, brachii, and biceps all swelled up.
The muscles were now too visibly detailed.
-Gooo!
-Creepy.
Shin Eui-gyeom felt goosebumps rise on his body.
He felt something stimulating his senses as ominous energy filled the air.
“I think this is my first time punching with all my strength?”
‘All his strength?’
As soon as Mumu said that, he let his fist slam forward.
And…
Kwang!!!
“Uh!”
A tremendous wind pressure rose around them as Shin Eui-gyeom was pushed back.
He had used a defensive technique and even raised his sword, but there was nothing he could do to avoid being pushed.
-kwaaang!
“Kuak!”
He even wondered if the roar damaged his ears as the sound in the air slowly became static. If he had been too late in protecting his ears, he would have lost them.
-trrrrr!
Shin Eui-gyeom finally stopped after being pushed back dozens of meters.
‘What power is this?’
Shin Eui-gyeom lowered his sword and looked ahead.
‘!!!!!’
In an instant, Shin Eui-gyeom’s mouth dropped wide. He desperately wanted to believe that what he saw now was just a dream.
They had stood in a place that was surrounded by mountains. All around them were mountains of various sizes, densely packed together.
But…
‘… No.’
The land that had borne the punch’s force had become as flat as a pig’s skin. He couldn’t even comprehend how many mountains were now missing.
Even more surprising was that the sky had also parted due to the punch.
‘So his power in our fight wasn’t his all?’
Just blowing apart a single mountain was a miraculous feat. This was something he didn’t want to believe existed.
Tremble!
Shin Eui-gyeom felt his whole body tremble from the leg up.
This wasn’t at the level where he could explain it in human terms anymore.
He was no longer just afraid. He was now terrified.
They had worked hard to defeat this boy’s father.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
‘… This is bad. This is something which shouldn’t have come into the world.’
The term monster wouldn’t be enough.
No one could stop this. This was a power that couldn’t be overcome even by the boy’s father, the undisputed strongest warrior.
‘Invincible.’
No one could do anything to him now.
They were all food to this predator.
To Mumu, all other humans were simply prey.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
He felt his heart drop.
Bang!
Then Mumu, who had been far away, approached and put his hand on Shin Eui-gyeom, who was shivering with cold sweat.
“Do not tremble. I will not be happy even if I kill you.”